The City of Fort Lauderdale has broken ground on two massive and simultaneous projects to completely restructure stormwater drainage in two of the most flood-prone areas of Fort Lauderdale: the Edgewood and River Oaks neighborhoods. This will eventually include the largest stormwater pump station in City history, which will also be one of the largest in South Florida. The system will include a filter marsh, widely seen as a Best Management Practice to naturally remove grease and oils from stormwater discharge in the safest way possible to protect the environment.
The $25-million River Oaks project will renovate the existing system and increase the piping network by approximately 50%. The $16-million Edgewood project will increase the neighborhood’s stormwater management capabilities by 95%. Once completed, these improvements will dramatically reduce flooding in these areas that has historically been a problem for motorists and residents.
In a few months, work will also begin on a stormwater pump station that will power this portion of the system. This $5-million project will create the largest stormwater pump in Fort Lauderdale history.
“The start of these two projects takes Fort Lauderdale’s work to address climate change to the next level as we advance plans to protect our most vulnerable neighborhoods from the impacts of flooding and sea level rise,” Mayor Dean Trantalis says. “This City Commission has prided itself on a can-do attitude, and that shows in the fact that we are now launching the largest stormwater improvement project in city history. We are determined to be a resilient city prepared for the changing environment of the coming decades.”
The entire initiative will take three years to complete. Work will be carried out in phases with minimal impact on neighbors.
